Sempiternal
/ˌsɛm.pɪˈtɜːr.nəl/noun
Existing or continuing forever.
Did you know?Medieval Christian writers used sempiternal to describe God’s unending existence, distinguishing it from things that merely last for an indefinitely long time.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sem-
“One; together; united”
Classical Latin
Latin
semper
“Always; at all times”
Classical Latin
Latin
aeternus
“Everlasting; eternal”
Late Latin
Latin
sempiternus
“Everlasting; perpetual, formed from semper and aeternus”
Middle English
English
sempiternal
“Everlasting; eternal”
Modern English
English
sempiternal
“Existing or continuing forever”
Explore more surprising origins